Congratulations! You made it! You survived and excelled in your student teaching. You are now a science teacher! If you would, take a few minutes to share your wisdom about how to negotiate this difficult year with the students who are following in your footsteps by answering the following questions.
a. What are some things students should do in their fall practicum to make their student teaching go more smoothly?
Get involved in the classroom. This doesn't mean that you have to take on the task of teaching full lessons. Ask your CT if there are any small activities you can help with or take the lead on. I did some simple things like leading a ten minute discussion on an article that the students had read for homework, By becoming active in the classroom a little in the fall it shows the students that you are on your way to becoming an active member of their classroom.
b. What 430 topics/assignments should students make sure are addressed in detail to prepare them for student teaching?
Try your best to make your 430 unit plan focus on a topic that you will be covering in the classroom in the spring. Whether it is for high school or middle school this will help you be more confident in the content that you will be teaching. Even if you don't use the unit plan in your student teaching, writing the unit plan helps refresh the content.
c. Help the next group of science education student teachers by completing the thought: "If I knew in September what I know now, I could have been better prepared for student teaching if I had ...."
Asked my CT for a copy of the grade book. Having a place of your own to record grades seems like a small thing but it isn't. It is much easier to keep track of student work when you have your own way of keeping record of things. This will help keep you on track and organized when students hand in work.
I also suggest getting into some type of basic health/fitness routine. I didn't have the time (or energy) to work out every day but I did yoga once a week at the gym. I forced myself to make sure that no matter how busy I got I would make time to go to the yoga class. It helped keep me sane.
d. Are there other words of wisdom/encouragement that you want to share?
KNOW YOUR CONTENT!! At the middle school level it is a little easier to refresh your memory on the science content you haven't seen in a while. At the high school level it is tougher. Let's face it. At the college level the science classes that we have all been taking are much more in depth and in concentrated areas, whereas in schools you have to cover a broader range of topics. This can be challenging depending on where your strengths lie. Talk to your CT early in the fall so that you can have an idea on what specific units you will be covering. When you are confident in your content knowledge, the rest of teaching is much easier.
SLEEP. Get your rest. Somehow I made it through student teaching without catching a sniffle but I made it a point to try and get at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
e. Make sure Dr. Fogleman teaches you to...
Remember the importance of planning lessons ahead of time.
a. What are some things students should do in their fall practicum to make their student teaching go more smoothly?
b. What 430 topics/assignments should students make sure are addressed in detail to prepare them for student teaching?
c. Help the next group of science education student teachers by completing the thought: "If I knew in September what I know now, I could have been better prepared for student teaching if I had ...."
d. Are there other words of wisdom/encouragement that you want to share?
e. Make sure Dr. Fogleman teaches you to...